Personalized Desktop Organizer

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a personalized desktop organizer, which helps users select and optimally arrange desktop organizers on desks. The core components of the invention are a desktop organizer, temporary fasteners, and overlays for different office implements, which, generally speaking, are configured as follows: the dimensions of the desktop organizers are whole multiples of each other, ensuring alignment when brought to close proximity of each other; the temporary fasteners are preferably magnets and located on the outer sides of the desktop organizers such that they align with one another; and, a set of overlays, one for each type of office organizer, fitting over the top of the desktop organizer. The invention can be used to select and arrange desktop organizers in a personalized manner that promotes optimal use of the desk space.

PRIORITY STATUS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/501,064, filed May 3, 2017. The content of U.S. Provisional Application 62/501,064 is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to office equipment, and specifically to desktop organizers.

2. Background

Most professionals and office workers need to store and organize various office implements on their desks. Office implements are any small artifacts used at a desk such as paperclips, staplers, erasers, sticky notes, memory cards, USB sticks, pens, scissors, and other similar objects. Desktop space is often at a premium and it is necessary to make optimal use of the desktop space.

Currently there are a number of solutions for desktop organizers to store and organize office implements. Some of these solutions attempt to provide a single desktop organizer for one office implement, but these solutions fail to meet the needs of the industry because they can get scattered on the desk, easily taken away by others, and require searching by the user. Other solutions attempt to combine multiple desktop organizers into a single unit, also known as “all-in-one”, allowing the storage of multiple office implements, but these solutions are similarly unable to meet the needs of the industry because such solutions are bulky, take up too much desk, and often provide storage space not needed by the user.

It would be desirable to have a set of desktop organizers that can precisely fit the needs of the user, which best utilizes the limited the desktop space. Furthermore, it would also be desirable to have a desktop organizer that can be arranged by the user to fit the open spaces of the desktop. Still further, it would be desirable to have a desktop organizer that can be rearranged to adapt to the changing needs of the user. Therefore, there currently exists a need in the industry for a desktop organizer that can be personalized to the user's needs, make optimal use of the available desktop space, and adapt to the changing requirements for storing office implements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention advantageously fills the deficiencies by providing a personalized desktop organizer, which provides the user with exactly what is needed to store and organize office implements, adapt to the available space on the desktop, and reconfigure at a later date.

The present invention is a personalized desktop organizer, which is made up of the following components: a desktop organizer, a temporary fastener, and an overlay for an office implement. The desktop organizers have proportional lengths and widths, where the lengths and widths are whole multiples of each other, such that they are sized to align when placed next to one another. At least one temporary fastener is located on each side of the desktop organizer, such that the desktop organizers easily and temporarily snap together when brought near each other. The desktop organizers align themselves with minimal effort by the user. The desktop organizers can be effortlessly pulled apart and snapped together in different configurations. The overlay is attached to the top of the desktop organizer base to accommodate an office implement.

The present invention also has one or more of the following: plurality of temporary fasteners, such as magnets, hook-and-loop, and clips; an overlay that is separate from the base for added design flexibility; and the plurality of overlays for storing and organizing common office implements. The temporary fasteners attach to each side of the desktop organizer in a linear manner such that they line up and attach when a pair of desktop organizers are brought together. The overlays seamlessly fit over the desktop organizers.

The present invention is unique when compared with other known devices and solutions because it provides: (1) grouping multiple desktop organizers into a single organizer; (2) personalizing the selection and arrangement of the desktop organizers to meet the exact needs of the user; and (3) optimal use of the available desktop space for storing and organizing office implements.

The present invention is unique in that it is structurally different from other known devices or solutions. More specifically, the present invention is unique due to the presence of: (1) temporary fasteners on each side of the desktop organizer; (2) proportional sizing of the desktop organizers to promote optimal alignment; and (3) plurality of overlays to store and organize common office implements.

Among other things, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a personalized desktop organizer that does not suffer from any of the problems or deficiencies associated with prior solutions.

It is an objective of the present invention to create a desktop organizer that can readily attach and align with similar desktop organizers. It is further an objective of the present invention to provide desktop organizers of different sizes that accommodate a wide variety of office implements. It is still further an objective of the present invention to provide a wide variety of overlays for storing and organizing common office implements. Further still, it is an objective of the present invention to provide the user with the ability to select the right desktop organizers and personalize their arrangement on the desk.

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are intended to be read in conjunction with both this summary, the detailed description and any preferred and/or particular embodiments specifically discussed or otherwise disclosed. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of illustration only and so that this disclosure will be thorough, complete and will fully convey the full scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the perspective view of a simple desktop organizer base and overlay, and the location of the temporary fasteners.

FIG. 2 shows the perspective view of a proportional rectangular desktop organizer base with multiple temporary fasteners on two sides.

FIG. 3 shows the perspective view of a corner desktop organizer base.

FIG. 4 shows the perspective view of the alignment of several desktop organizer bases.

FIG. 5 shows the perspective view of one arrangement of a set of differently shaped desktop organizer bases.

FIG. 6 shows the perspective view of the base of a simple desktop organizer along with pockets for magnets on each side.

FIG. 7 shows the perspective view of a tray overlay fitting over the base of a desktop organizer.

FIG. 8 shows the perspective view of a paperclip overlay fitting over the base of a desktop organizer.

FIG. 9 shows the perspective view of a memory card overlay fitting over the base of a desktop organizer.

FIG. 10 shows the perspective view of one arrangement of various desktop organizer components.

FIG. 11 shows the perspective view of a different arrangement of various desktop organizer components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a personalized desktop organizer. Multiple personal organizers are used in conjunction with each other to help the user create a personalized set of desktop organizers.

In its most complete version, the present invention is made up of the following components: a base, a temporary fastener, and an overlay for an office implement. The desktop organizers have proportional lengths and widths, where the lengths and widths are whole multiples of each other, such that they are sized to align in multiple configuration when placed next to one another. At least one temporary fastener is located on each side of the desktop organizer, such that the desktop organizers easily and temporarily snap together when in close proximity. The temporary fasteners attach to each side of the desktop organizer in a symmetrical manner such that they line up and attach when a pair of desktop organizers are brought together. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the temporary fasteners are magnets, but a person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that other means such as hook and loop and clips may also be used as temporary fasteners. The desktop organizers align themselves with minimal effort by the user when the desktop organizers are brought near one another. The desktop organizers can be effortlessly pulled apart and snapped together in different configurations. The overlays are on the top of the desktop organizer to accommodate various office implements. Optionally, the overlays are either temporary or permanently attached to the base.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary personalized desktop organizer base, where a desktop organizer 100 has a front side 105, a right side 110, a back side 115, a left side 120, and top side 125, and a bottom side 130. An overlay 135 is provided on the top side 125 configured for storing and organizing various office implements; in this illustration the overlay is a tray. The desktop organizer 100 has a width 140 and a length 145. A fastener 150 is provided on each side of the desktop organizer 100. The center of the fastener shown in FIG. 1 is a distance D from each edge, where D is a fraction of the length of the side in any embodiment of the present invention, such as one half of the width. D is a constant distant for a set of desktop organizers. A minimum width is an arbitrary length chosen for a set of personalized desktop organizers, and all other widths and length are whole multiples of the minimum width in order to maintain alignment and symmetry. The width 140 and the length 145 are also whole multiples of each other. For example, if the minimum width is 5 cm long, then the desktop organizer 100 assumes width/length dimensions such as 5×5, 5×10, 5×15, 5×20, 10×10, 10×15, 15×15, 20×20 and so forth.

The temporary fastener 150 allows different desktop organizers to snap together when brought close to each other, enabling different desktop organizer units to temporarily adhere to one another and act as a single unit. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the temporary fastener 150 is made of a magnet embedded within each side of the desktop organizer. A person having ordinary skill in the art would easily recognize that options other than magnets are also available, such as hook and loop, clips, key and slot, and non-drying glues.

While the exemplary desktop organizer 100 in FIG. 1 was essentially square in shape, where the width equaled the length, FIG. 2 illustrates a rectangular desktop organizer base 200, where the width is twice the length. In such cases, where the width or the length is a multiple of the minimum width, then the temporary fasteners 150 are placed such that the distance D 155 is maintained from each edge. In the instance shown in FIG. 2, the width is twice the minimum width, thus the distance between the temporary fasteners 150 is 2D 205. Additional temporary fasteners 150 will be added to each side as the width and the length increase in whole multiples of the minimum width.

The overall shape of the desktop organizer is not limited to a rectangular shape. Other shapes such as wedge, triangle, corner, and polygons are included; however, all such shapes are consistent with the aforementioned ratios between the width 140, the length 145, and D 155, such that the temporary fasteners 150 always line up and the desktop organizers snap together in an aligned fashion. For example, FIG. 3 shows a corner desktop organizer base 300 that is a 90-degree corner, where the temporary fasteners are located distance D 150 from the edge as shown.

A combination of different shapes allows the user to configure the overall shape of the desktop organizers in a desired fashion by snapping them together. FIG. 4 illustrates a simple combination 400 by bringing two square and one rectangular desktop organizer bases together. FIG. 5 shows a different combination 500 by bringing together and snapping three square, two corners, and one rectangular desktop organizer bases. FIGS. 4 and 5 shows how the user creates the desired overall desktop organizer by putting together differently shaped desktop organizers. Thus, making the optimal use of the available desktop and using only the desktop organizers needed by the user.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an aspect of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, where the bottom side 600 and the overlay 700 of the desktop organizer are manufactured separately and subsequently assembled together. The assembly of the base and an overlay are either permanent, such as attached with glue, or temporary, such as attached with snap fits. The temporary fasteners 605 are positioned as indicated earlier, and a cavity 610 is created in the bottom side 600. Optionally, the base is weighed by adding a weight such as sand or a piece of lead for additional stability. The overlays can assume a plurality of geometries required for storing and organizing a variety of office implements. Thus, manufacturing costs are reduced by sharing a common base geometry and fabricating a variety of overlays for different office implements.

Office implements are artifacts used in an office such as but not limited to paperclips, staplers, erasers, sticky notes, business cards, notepads, memory cards, coins, USB sticks, digital media, pens, scissors, clocks, glasses, stamps, white-out bottles, cups, pictures, tapes, mobile devices chargers, mobile device holders, flower and so forth.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary overlay 800 that is a paperclip holder in unassembled and assembled fashions over the base 600. FIG. 9 shown an exemplary memory card holder overlay 900 in unassembled and assembled fashions over the base 600.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrates two different personalized arrangements of various desktop organizer components. FIG. 10 shows a corner pen holder 1000, a large tray 1005, a business card holder 1010, a flower holder 1015, a US stick holder 1020, a small tray, 1025, a memory card holder 1030, and a paperclip holder 1035. FIG. 11 shows two pen holders 1100, business card holder 1105, flower holder 1110, single pen holder 1115, large tray 1120, memory card holder 1125, coin holder 1130, paperclip holder 1140, and USB stick holder 1145.

The arrangements shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are only two of numerous possible arrangements of the desktop organizer components. Thus, the personalized desktop organizer is a collection of individual components selected by a user for their utility, and temporarily snapped together by the user in a desired configuration. At a later date, the user can reconfigure the personalized desktop organizer by adding or removing desktop organizers and/or rearranging them.

While a number of materials are available for manufacturing the personalized desktop organizer, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is made with plastics such as ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene) via the injection molding process. A person having ordinary skill of the art would recognize that other materials such as wood and metals can also be used to manufacture the desktop organizer.

While the present invention has been described above in terms of specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and which are intended to be and are covered by both this disclosure and the appended claims. It is indeed intended that the scope of the invention should be determined by proper interpretation and construction of the appended claims and their legal equivalents, as understood by those of skill in the art relying upon the disclosure in this specification and the attached drawings. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A personalized desktop organizer comprising: a desktop organizer having a top, a base, plurality of sides, and an overlay; the desktop organizer having a width and a length, which are whole multiples of similar desktop organizers' widths and lengths; a temporary fastener located on each side of the desktop organizer; and the overlay is attached on top of the base.
 2. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 1, wherein the temporary fasteners on the desktop organizers are located to align with the temporary fasteners on similar desktop organizers in a manner to temporarily fasten to each other when the desktop organizers are in close proximity of each other.
 3. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the temporary fastener is a magnet.
 4. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the temporary fastener is a hook and loop.
 5. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the temporary fastener is a clip.
 6. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a tray.
 7. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a pen holder.
 8. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a digital media holder.
 9. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a paperclip holder.
 10. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a coin tray.
 11. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a card holder.
 12. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is an eraser holder.
 13. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a flower holder.
 14. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a picture holder.
 15. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a stapler holder.
 16. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a note holder.
 17. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a tape dispenser.
 18. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a mobile device holder.
 19. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a cup holder.
 20. The personalized desktop organizer of claim 2, wherein the overlay is a small office accessory holder. 